Hidden Camera Unmasks Sinister Acts
Paul Giacopelli, a 60-year-old anesthesiologist, is now facing a jail sentence after pleading guilty to drugging and sexually abusing his children’s nanny. The shocking revelation came to light when the nanny, suspicious of her employer, set up a hidden camera in his New York home. What she captured on the footage was nothing short of horrifying.
Giacopelli admitted to using Sevoflurane, an anesthetic agent, to incapacitate the nanny. He would fill a rag with the substance and cover her mouth and nose to render her unconscious. “He had a ‘chloroform fetish,'” testified Keith Simone, an investigator from the sheriff’s office, before a grand jury.
The guilty plea
On Wednesday, Giacopelli pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually abusing his family’s nanny while she was asleep. The victim, employed to take care of Giacopelli’s children in their Putnam County home in the town of Southeast, often worked overnight shifts when Giacopelli was on call at the local hospital. Giacopelli targeted her because she is a “heavy sleeper,” he confessed to officers.
His attorney, Steven Gaitman, stated that his client “assumed responsibility for his crimes, and now is focused on tending to his family.”
The victim’s ordeal
Court papers reveal that the nanny experienced four instances of waking up to a chemical-laden rag over her face, causing her to black out, in late 2023. Determined to find out the truth, she set up a hidden camera on December 29, 2023. Upon reviewing the footage, she found damning evidence of Giacopelli assaulting her.
After viewing the video clips, the nanny immediately reported the abuse to law enforcement officials. Giacopelli was subsequently taken in for questioning by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. Simone testified that Giacopelli admitted to bringing drugs home from the hospital, and fentanyl along with other drugs were found in his residence.
Professional consequences
Following his arrest, the state Board for Professional Medical Conduct barred Giacopelli from practicing medicine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20 and is expected to receive four years in state prison.
The case has left the local community in shock, raising questions about the oversight of medical professionals and the vulnerability of domestic workers. As Giacopelli awaits his sentencing, the community grapples with the betrayal of trust from a once-respected anesthesiologist.